"Oh, about that. The owner of the house to the right wasn't around, but I did mao meet the owner of two houses to the left of mine. She was willing to sell her properties, but she was not ied iing them out," Bahamut expined.

  “I alsot to mention. Both houses have 3 bedrooms, a kit, bathroom and ste room” Bahamut added.

  Draco pohe situation, his brow furrowing slightly.

  ‘I wasn't pnning on buying a house just yet, but this area does seem like a prime location. It's close to the northwest part of the city and situated near just about everything we could need,’ he mused.

  Curious, Draquired, "Did she provide a reason as to why she refused to sider renting the homes?" he asked.

  Bahamut hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well...she was agreeable until I mentiohat you were adventurers." She paused, anticipating Draco's rea.

  Draodded, uanding the homeowners' s.

  "That makes sense. Adventurers be rather uable as tenants, given the i risks of our profession. The possibility of us perishing in a dungeon is a valid for any ndlord." he stated.

  Leaning ba the base of the couch, Draco thoughtfully sidered the implications.

  ‘The problem with buying properties around this time, is the looming threat of the Evilus attack event, which i expect to occur sometime year. I 't guarahat the houses we purchase now would be spared from the impendiru. It may not be the wisest iment at the moment.’ he thought.

  Drachtened up, a determined glint in his eye.

  ‘However, perhaps we could still explore the option of renting if I offer several months of rent payments upfront.’ he thought.

  “ I meet with the owoday to iate?" he asked.

  Bahamut nodded, a small smile pying on her lips.

  "Certainly. Let's go see her right away." she replied.

  As they stood to leave, Eleni spoke up, "Wait, what about the rest of us?" she asked.

  Draco turo his sister, a hint of amusement in his voibsp;

  "Oh, I almost fot you were here, Eleni. I assumed you were tent to remain silent." he teased.

  “Hmmf” Eleni huffed, turning away from him.

  "In the meahe rest of you should head to the inn to eat a up for tomorrow. We have a busy day ahead." Draco addressed the group.

  They had agreed that their status boards would be updated weekly earlier in the day, so there was nothi for them to do in Bahamut’s house.

  Remembering an importaail, Draco reached into his cloak and pulled out some Valis.

  "Oh, and here is your weekly allowance – 4,000 Valis each." he said, while handing each of them the money.

  Eleni's brow furrowed, and she couldn't help but voice her .

  "But Dimitra said earlier that we were each supposed to receive around 20,000 Valis. Why is it so small?" she protested.

  Draco's gaze narrowed, and Eleni suddenly felt the weight of her other siblings' scrutinizing stares.

  Remembering the earlier i, she quickly backtracked.

  "Ah, hehehe, I was just joking, Draii. Thank you for the money, I'll be sure to spend it wisely. Have a safe journey." she said.

  Draodded, satisfied with her response.

  "I thought as much." he turo Bahamut, who watched the exge with amusement.

  "Dealing with pubest siblings be quite the challenge," Draarked.

  Bahamut chuckled, "Fufufufu, don't be too hard on them. It's all part of the experience." she said.

  ……………………………………………………………………

  As Drad Bahamut made their way to the neighb house, Draco couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease.

  He wasirely fortable being aloh Bahamut, uain of how to properly duct himself around her.

  Reag the front door, Draocked firmly.

  After a brief moment, the sound of shuffling footsteps could be heard from within, and the door swung open, revealing an elderly human woman.

  "Ah, Bahamut-sama, it's you," the woman excimed, her eyes quickly shifting to Draco, who stood beside the goddess.

  "And this must be the person you spoke of." she said.

  Draco stepped forward, his posture straight and his expressioral.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Draco Bck, captain of the Bahamut Familia." he introduced.

  The woman, seemingly pleased by his introdu, nodded approvingly.

  "Hmm, o meet you, young man. I am Hilda." she replied.

  "Would you like to e in for tea?" Hilda offered, her warm smile belying her shrewd business a.

  Draco politely shook his head, "I would love to, but it's already quite te. So I will get straight to the point of my visit, Hilda-san." he replied.

  Hilda's eyebrows rose slightly, "I see, quite a blunt young man you are, but I don't dislike that." She gestured for him to tinue.

  Draco took a moment to sort his thoughts, "Currently, our newly formed familia has no pns to purchase a house, but we rent. I fully uand why some ndlords would be hesitant to rent to adventurers, but I have a suggestion to assuage your worries." he began.

  Hilda leaned forward, her i piqued.

  "We are willing to pay around 6 months' rent upfront for both houses. That way, if anything happens to us in the dungeon, you will not incur much loss," Draco proposed.

  Hilda's eyes widened, "Hmm, that is indeed a tempting offer, but why are you willing to go that far?" she asked, her gaze pierg.

  Draced at Bahamut, and Hilda seemed to uand the unspoken message, at least he thought she did.

  "I see, so that's what's happening," Hilda nodded, a knowing look on her face.

  "Okay, I will rent both houses to you. When do you pn on moving in?" she asked.

  "On Monday, week," Draco replied.

  "Alright, I will set up the tract for tomorrow. Will you be avaible around this time?" Hilda inquired.

  "Yes," Draco firmed.

  Hilda and Draco spent the few minutes going through several rules aails ing the houses.

  Draco listened ily, makial o ensure he uood every aspect of the agreement.

  With everything verbally agreed upon, it was time for Drad Bahamut to take their leave.

  "Oh, young man," Hilda said, her expression suddenly turning mischievous.

  "Fighting," she added, giving Draco a thumbs-up and a creepy wink.

  'What the hell does that mean?' Draco couldn't help but wonder.

  As they slowly walked back to Bahamut's house, "She seems quite etric." Draented.

  Bahamut chuckled, "Fufufu, I thought the same when I first met her." she replied.

  The atmosphere fell silent, and Draco couldn't help but feel self-scious.

  "Sigh, sorry for being such b pany," he apologized.

  Bahamut's melodious ughter filled the air, "Fufufu, silly boy. Here I was w that you found my pany b." she said.

  Draco's eyes widened, "No, I don't find you b at all. It's just that I haven't ied with many people besides my family, so I tend to overthink things when aloh a goddess like you." he replied.

  "Pfff, hahahahahaha!" Bahamut burst out ughing, drawing curious gnces from passersby.

  Draco looked at her, puzzled.

  "Sorry, I wasn't making fun of you or anything," Bahamut said, wiping a tear from her eye.

  "It's just that I had this image of you in my head, so I'm feeling a bit silly seeing you like this." she said.

  Draco chuckled, "Well, I guess that's just the process it takes to know someone. We were also a bit shocked when we first met, you ruihe image we had of a dragon goddess." Draco tered.

  "Hey, you promised tet that," Bahamut said, lightly pung Draco's arm with a pyful pout.

  Draco found the expression oddly endearing. Before long, they had reached Bahamut's house.

  The pce was quiet, indig that his siblings had already returo the inn.

  "I guess this is where we part for the day," Bahamut said, standing at the pord gazing at Draco.

  Her expression seemed unusually wistful to Draco.

  Bahamut lightly pulled her long silver hair to the sides as the night breeze blew gently.

  Draco couldn't help but be captivated by the ethereal beauty of the se.

  "Thank you for apanyioday, Draco," Bahamut said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Draco felt a strange flutter in his chest. "It was my pleasure, Bahamut," he replied, his voice equally soft.

  The two stood there, the sileween them heavy with unspokeions.

  Draco could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he wondered if Bahamut could hear it too.

  Suddenly, Bahamut cleared her throat, breaking the spell.

  "Well, I should get going. Sleep well, Draco," she said, a very faint blush on her cheeks.

  "You too, Bahamut," Draco replied, relutly turning to leave.

  As he walked back to the inn, Draco couldn't help but repy the events of the moment with her in his mind.

  The way Bahamut had looked at him, the subtle ges in her expression, the way his heart had reacted – it all felt so new and unfamiliar, yet strangely f.

  Draco shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

  ‘What am I doing?, I shouldn’t be thinking of such things now’ Draco scolded himself.

  There were so many dormant problems currently surrounding him and his familia, so he didn’t want to allow something like romance currently join the pile.